Children Of Legends
by MetalAdvocate
Summary: 14 years after the 4th Great Ninja War, Naruto's generation has lived in peace and prosperity. However, an ancient evil is now stirring and threatens their way of life. Main pairing is NaruHina. SasuSaku fans will be disappointed. This is NOT Yaoi.
1. A friendly sparring match

**A/N - I would just like to mention that I'm obviously not the owner of the Naruto franchise and I would also like to mention that I have just recently been introduced to the story so I have spent the last couple of months powering my way through the show and I have now just barely read the latest manga. This left me wanting more so I decided that I would write a story where my goal is to look into the distant future and see what that holds in store for our favorite ninjas. That being said, there will almost certainly be mistakes and if you spot any or if you just want to offer insight, please send a review my way. Now enough talk. More Naruto.**

CHILDREN OF LEGENDS

By MetalAdvocate

Chapter One: A Friendly Sparring Match

Clouds thundered overhead as a crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the display before them. Everyone present knew a storm was coming yet it would not deter the growing amount of onlookers gathering to witness two of the greatest ninja in the history of the Leaf Village clash in one of their now legendary 'sparring' matches.

Flashes of yellow and streaks of lightning were all that could be seen as the untrained eye could scarcely follow the blinding speed which the two combatants moved. One hit. Two hits. Again and again they collided with bone-jarring force as neither seemed to manage to gain the upper hand. Rasengan met Chidori in an earth shattering collision that finally separated them and they stood facing each other with about thirty feet separating them.

Dressed in faded blue jeans, a black and orange shirt and a long white coat with red flames and the 'sixth hokage' glyphs embroidered on the back, Naruto Namikaze was a picture of iron determination when his blue eyes slowly turned green as he entered sage mode. Tall and serene he stood there silently challenging the three tamoes of the trademark Uchiha sharingan. His best friend Sasuke Uchiha, the commanding officer of the anbu black ops, was dressed in the standard Anbu flak jacket, black jeans and a long black trench coat with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back. On top of that, his whole body was enshrouded with some modified form of the lightning element that increased his speed to incredible levels.

In a clap of thunder the rain started to fall and with lightning illuminating the training field, the two men charged at each other and clashed in a brilliant display of taijutsu and ninjutsu that made everyone present shake their heads in wonder. After ten seconds of relentlessly trading blows, Naruto managed to barely duck a haymaker to the jaw to which he returned the favour with an uppercut that rattled Sasuke to his core. This was followed with a kick to the chest that sent Sasuke flying for a good thirty yards before he managed to neatly land on his feet despite the force of the attack.

Sasuke then immediately sensed Naruto's presence behind him and launched himself in a backwards flip that barely dodged an incoming rasengan. "That was a close one", Sasuke thought as he landed behind Naruto.

The 'Flying Thunder God Technique' was a Namikaze speciality that allowed the user to place a seal on any surface that he touched, thus allowing said person to teleport to that location at any given time. The tri-pronged kunai that Naruto used also had the seal etched on them, allowing him to teleport to said kunai if he decided to throw it. This was something that even Sasuke rarely had an answer for. Even with the 'Lightning Flash Step' that he had learned through the sharingan from fighting the Raikage many years past, he could just barely keep up with the intense speed of the Leaf Village's second 'Yellow Flash'.

Without hesitation, Sasuke launched a fire ball jutsu at Naruto who managed to jump just high enough to let it pass harmlessly beneath him and while he was still airborne, made the shadow clone hand sign. Sasuke saw this one coming from a mile away. The next thing he knew, he was being bombarded from all directions by a hundred rasengan wielding shadow clones. He quickly ignited his chidori spear and started slashing and weaving until the spear became a blur of light, quickly dispatching all of the clones. Knowing that one of the shadow clone had managed to touch him, Sasuke chanced a look down only to see a black seal crawling up his arm. On instinct, he turned with a spin-kick that connected his heel solidly to Naruto's jaw, who had appeared only there only a fraction of a second ago. "Your getting predictable", Sasuke grinned as Naruto suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Am I"? came a familiar voice from behind Sasuke who turned his head slightly to see a rasengan inches away from his head.

Sasuke lifted his hands in resignation. "You win this time dope" he said with his usual smirk as Naruto dissipated the rasengan in his hand with a little more dramatic flair than necessary.

The crowd roared with approval at their two heros as both men shook hands and patted each other on the backs before heading back into the village. At thirty-two years old, they were in the prime of their lives and the Leaf Village was thriving. Then, as quickly as the rain came, it vanished as the sun poked through the clouds and warmed the faces of everyone present.

"Hey dad wait up" Taro Namikaze raced to catch up with his father and following close behind was his best friend Warrin Uchiha. At fourteen years old, Taro had the same girly looks that the fourth hokage had when he was that age. Along with the same blue eyes, he even had his spiky blonde hair grow out over his forehead protector down either side of his face just past the ears, making him look very similar his grandfather Minato. The only real difference was the three red scars on each one of his cheeks that he seemed to inherit from Naruto.

Warrin on the other hand looked identical to Sasuke. From his black hair that cascaded down both sides of his face to his dark eyes he had the same rugged good looks that Sasuke possessed that made women stare constantly. He had also unfortunately inherited the crowds of pesky fan girls that came with the territory. As a matter of fact, Taro had the same problem.

Both boys caught up to their fathers and started walking with them and asking how the match went. Naruto's cheesy grin said it all as Sasuke just grunted at the question. With that, Naruto threw his arm around his son and turned to his friend. "Hey Sasuke. You wanna bring Sakura and Warrin over to my place for supper? Hinata is making a feast that might be too much for our family to handle." "Alright sounds good" Sasuke replied. "I'll get Sakura to bring a tray of cinnamon buns for dessert." With that, Naruto and Taro headed off for the Namikaze estate. Sasuke motioned his son to join them. "Why don't you go ahead without me. I'll be there in an hour." "Sure thing dad" Warrin replied as he ran to catch up with Taro.

Sasuke smiled as he watched his son bump fists with Taro. Such a friendship was a rarity that very few people were blessed with. It reminded him of the bond between himself and Naruto and recalled how lost he had been before Naruto finally succeeded in pulling him out of the depths of his hatred. Naruto was a brother to him and it brought gladness to his heart to know that Warrin shared a similar bond with Taro.

Finally breaking free from his thoughts, Sasuke turned and headed for Uchiha manor.

**A/N - I know the names are probably a bit lame but I like 'em so they're staying. Warning... The next chapter might have a lemon in it so if thats not your thing then I suggest you find another source of entertainment.**


	2. Married life

**A/N - I have decided to add a lemon to the chapter and a few other things. Just to be clear on one thing, I think that Sakura has been very shallow in her love towards Sasuke and I don't think that they are cut out for each other but that is just my opinion and I just want to give you a heads up in case your a Sasu/Saku fan. I respect the opinion of others and I hope to get some constructive reviews out of this. And of course... I don't own Naruto.**

Chapter Two-Married Life

The sun was already setting as Sasuke walked through the deserted streets of the once bustling Uchiha neighbourhood. Even twenty-five years after the Uchiha massacre, the memories of that fateful night still haunted Sasuke every time he walked through those desolate streets. Each shadow, each dark corner held the memory of a corpse that belonged to a slain relative. As he always did, he kept his eyes straight ahead as he got close to the front door of his house.

All of a sudden, a subtle movement in a dark alley caught his attention. Without hesitating, Sasuke ran into the alley. This startled the intruder as the dark figure jumped onto the rooftops and took off in full speed with Sasuke in full pursuit. "Whoever this is, he's fast" thought Sasuke as he struggled to keep up with the intruder.

Finally, Sasuke gave up the chase at the walls of the Uchiha compound as the intruder disappeared into the night. "I didn't actually catch him doing anything wrong" Sasuke reasoned to himself as he turned back the way he came. "Still... very suspicious to find someone sneaking around these parts".

With that, he walked up to his home and opened the door to find Sakura singing quietly to herself while washing some bedsheets. "Sakura". She jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice. "Sasuke, you scared me" she said with a sheepish little smile as her cheeks turned red. "I didn't know you would be back so early".

Sasuke gave her a little smile as he hugged her and pecked her on the cheek. "Me neither. I just came to collect you because we are invited to Naruto and Hinata's place for supper". He leaned down and kissed her softly on the neck, and was not surprised when it didn't cause a single reaction from his wife. "By the way, you didn't happen to notice anything strange going on here in the last few hours did you"?

Sakura's body immediately grew tense when he asked the question. "S-strange? I d-didn't notice anything", she stuttered. "Why d-do you ask"? Sasuke released the hug and looked into her eyes for a long moment. For Sakura it seemed like an eternity. "No reason", he said at last, his face unreadable. "C'mon. Tidy up and lets get going. Do you have any cinnamon buns in the freezer? I told Naruto I would bring some". "Y-yes. Plenty", she said, glad for the change of subject. "That was a close one", She thought to herself as her husband walked over to the freezer.

A silent sigh of relief left her as she turned and walked toward the bedroom to get changed. The truth of the matter was that she had known about the 'intruder' for the past two months. She also knew that if Sasuke learned the truth, there was no predicting what he would do.

Though not for lack of trying, the love that she had for Sasuke in the early stages of their marriage had slowly dwindled down as each year went by as she realized that Sasuke was as much of a stranger to her now as he was when she first fell in love with him. It was that and his demanding career as the Anbu black-ops commander that had slowly pulled their marriage apart.

Before she knew it, she had instinctively run into the arms of another man that she knew had loved her from the very beginning. "One of these days", she thought to herself. "I'm gonna have to tell him so we can both move on. I just hope that he will be rational about it". She grimaced at the last bit.

Sasuke Uchiha was not one that took betrayal very well and she needed to find a way to break it to him as delicately as possible that their marriage was as good as over.

Still absorbed in her own thoughts, Sakura slipped on a strapless, knee length black dress that she hadn't worn in a while and headed back to the kitchen to where Sasuke was waiting. Without another word, both husband and wife locked up and left for the Namikaze estate.

Back at the Namikaze mansion, Naruto and the two boys walked into the foyer to discover a very appetizing smell waiting to greet them. "Taro. Why don't you and Warrin go find something to do while I investigate this matter further"? Naruto said with a grin as Taro just rolled his eyes as he and Warrin went back outside for a little training session before supper. He had witnessed that look too many times to not know what his father had on his mind.

Naruto tip-toed into the kitchen to where Hinata was working by the stove making red bean soup and ramen for the evening meal. But just before he could surprise her, she spun around and surprised him with a passionate kiss on the lips. "Darling. You have many talents but sneaking up on me just isn't one of them." she said with a big smile as she gave him another kiss.

Then Naruto grabbed her by the thighs and lifted her onto the counter-top so that she was straddling his waist. "N-Naruto," she exclaimed. "I need to keep stirring the soup so it won't burn onto the pot." Naruto continued to fondle her and kiss her neck, oblivious to her protests. "Hmm, yes", he said between kisses. "That would be a shame wouldn't it."

Hinata giggled at his antics as she could no longer resist the advances of her beloved. She wrapped her arms around his neck as their lips met and their tongues danced in a battle for dominance. She could feel the room getting hotter as her fingers started to explore Naruto's muscular back.

Then her senses were snapped back to reality when a burning sensation filled her nostrils. "THE SOUP" She cried as she slid off the counter and quickly took it off the stove. Although it was slightly burned onto the sides and bottom of the pot, the soup seemed to be in good shape.

As if he was reading her thoughts, Naruto was already leaning over the pot with a spoon to give it a taste test. "Mmm", he smiled as he slurped happily from the steaming concoction. "Still good. Great in fact," he said as his wife looked at him with a cute pout. That was just too much to resist as he embraced Hinata and met her lips with his own.

"I know its short notice but I invited Sasuke and his family over for supper tonight. I hope you don't mind." Hinata just smiled. "Of course not. The food is ready anyway so why don't you be a dear and set the table while I go change."

And with that, she headed for the bedroom while Naruto took charge of the evening meal.

Just then, a knock came at the door and Naruto opened it to see Sasuke and Sakura standing silently on his doorstep. "Uhhh... do come in." He said with a quizzical expression on his face. Something was up. Both of his friends seemed strangely distant as neither of them managed more that a "Thank you."

Then Naruto called out to the two young ninjas sparring on the front lawn and they all sat down around the table. Soon they were joined by Hinata who was wearing a lovely blue form fitting dress with matching heels.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's love struck stare as Hinata walked into the room and was reminded of his pitiful relationship with Sakura. "Why can't I have what they have." he wondered as Hinata lightly kissed Naruto on the lips.

He looked over at Sakura and noticed her smile as she also watched the loving couple in front of them. It seemed genuine. "Am I the only one that feels like shit here?" he thought to himself as they all helped themselves to the food.

No-one spoke for quite a while until Naruto broke the silence when he asked the boys about the upcoming Jonin exams. "Can't wait." they replied in unison. "Is Musashi gonna be there?" Taro asked. "I heard that he made Jonin already in the Sand Village."

Naruto nodded. "Yes he will be there. He is your old team mate after all and his father the Kazekage is making it a point to show up as well. You can always count on Gaara to keep his word." "Alright." Taro exclaimed. "I haven't seen him since we made Chunin. I hope he's still good enough to keep up with us."

Naruto and Sasuke both smiled with pride at their enthusiasm. Their sons were prodigies unlike any they had seen or even heard of before. There was no doubt that they were well on their way to becoming the most powerful shinobi that ever lived. To no great surprise, Gaara's son also fit into this category.

"How is training going?" Sasuke asked. "I trust you are putting all of your spare time to good use." "It's going great." exclaimed Warrin. "Taro has already mastered his own version of the Rasengan-ooof." He wheezed as Taro elbowed him in the ribs. "That was supposed to be a secret." he growled.

"Since we're in the mood for revealing secrets you would probably like to know that Warrin has already developed his own variation of Chidori-yiieeee." Taro yelped as Warrin stomped on his toe. "An eye for an eye my friend." Warrin smirked as Taro wound up to retaliate.

"BOYS!" They both turned to see their mothers glaring at them and abruptly continued eating as if nothing had transpired. Chuckling, Naruto continued to press the issue. "You both do realize that you will be among the youngest Jonin in the history of the Leaf Village right?" They both nodded at the statement. "When that happens, you must realize that you will be treated as men. That also means that you must act like men so at the very least try practising some manners in front of guests... starting now."

They both looked down in response to the rebuke from Naruto. They did not have to look at Sasuke to know that he was conveying similar thoughts. "Sorry." they both mumbled.

"Well I think that's enough excitement for one day." Naruto said as everyone looked like they were done eating. Sasuke nodded in agreement and got up to leave.

Sakura and Warrin were already outside the door when Naruto stopped Sasuke and looked him in the eyes. "I know that something is going on here and I won't force you to tell me, but if you need to talk to somebody then you know where to find me."

Sasuke simply nodded and walked away leaving Naruto standing there with a worried expression on his face.

"I sensed it too." Naruto turned around and saw Hinata standing behind him. "Something is going on between the two of them." She wrapped her arms around him. "Lets hope that whatever the problem is, they can work it out." she whispered.

Then he picked up a surprised Hinata in one swift move and teleported to the master bedroom and laid her on the bed. "I think its time I punished you for wearing such a sinful dress during dinner" he whispered into her ear.

The thought of what was to come got her eyes to glaze over in lust almost instantly. Her fingers played with his hair as he nuzzled and kissed her neck.

Hinata wrapped her legs around Naruto's waist and felt her hands work on their own as they started to remove Naruto's clothing. He was even faster than her as her dress was already on the floor and had her panties halfway down her legs.

The air felt hot and heavy as the now naked couple met in another heated kiss. Then Naruto started travelling below the neck and stopped when his lips found an extremely hard nipple.

Hinata moaned at contact and her nails dug little red crevasses into his shoulders but Naruto simply ignored the pain as he continued to administer his love to her voluptuous breasts.

As much as she was immensely enjoying the experience, it did not take long for Hinata to push Naruto's head downward towards another part of her body that was screaming for attention.

He was only more than willing to comply as he gave her 'lips' a little kiss that shot adrenaline through Hinata's body. This was followed by his tongue as he penetrated her folds in a practiced manner.

She started bucking under the intense pleasure and could only hang on for dear life until she felt herself reaching her climax. Just then, Naruto stopped what he was doing and as a result almost got his skull crushed when Hinata's legs instinctively squeezed his head like an anaconda.

She immediately looked at him apologetically but he just gave a mischievous smile as he simply whispered "Lets see how long we can keep each other at the brink without going all the way."

Her eyes lit up at the idea and roughly pushed Naruto onto his back and wedged his cock between her breasts. This act alone was so arousing that it almost made Naruto cum on impact but he somehow managed to keep it together as Hinata started to rub his throbbing member between her tits.

It got even more arousing when she gave it a few small licks and smiled lustfully at her lover. She hadn't been going at it for very long when she noticed his expression change and quickly stopped what she was doing before he hit the point of no return.

Without hesitation, he sat up and whispered "sixty-nine" into her ear. She grinned and nodded her head before pushing Naruto onto his back again and positioned herself so that her well-toned rear was hovering over his face which he accepted enthusiastically.

Not to be outdone, Hinata took Naruto's cock in both hands and started sucking expertly on the tip. This got a long moan out of Naruto as it nearly threw him off the task at hand.

They kept going at it for another good hour switching positions and pushing each other to the brink before they both came simultaneously in a veritable explosion of body fluids that sent Hinata into a fit of giggles and Naruto into plain exhaustion.

He sighed as Hinata fell into his arms and pulled the blanket over top of them. "You never cease to amaze me" he said just before sleep overtook them both. "I love you" she whispered into his ear before they both fell into a world of dreams.

**A/N - This was my first attempt at writing a lemon so if you found it lacking (which would not surprise me), then please let me know and help me improve my writing skills :)**


	3. Unearthed

**A/N - Special thanks to Alpenwolf for pointing out an error caused by my lack of research. I have gone back and corrected my mistake and I'll do my best to not let that happen again. Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.**

Chapter Three-Unearthed

Silence fell in the Nara clan forest as the sun started to set over the horizon. In similar fashion, a dark figure strode confidently through the trees. Silent.

Like a shadow, he moved without a sound and could not be seen by the untrained eye. A small reflection of light flashed from underneath his hood as he headed ever closer to his destination.

Just then, he pulled to a stop and stood there motionless. He was paralysed and knew that this could only be a shadow possession jutsu. "Hmm. You decided to come after all. I suppose a little skirmish could ease my boredom." he said as two dark haired ninja appeared in front of him. They both appeared to be chunin level.

"Someone should have warned you not to trespass in the Nara Clan forest." said the one that the shadow possession originated from. "The shadows could spell certain death to the unwary."

"Yes I am well aware of your clan's little shadow tricks." the mysterious man said with a chuckle. "However, this confrontation is over." The other ninja opened his mouth to speak but was shocked when he discovered that he was no longer able to.

They both stared at each other in helpless disbelief until their eyes rolled back and they slumped lifeless to the ground. "A pity. I thought Nara clan members were supposed to be intelligent." The strange man knelt and stretched out his arms to call back the two small snakes that were still latched onto the two dead ninja.

"Yet again, you boys show me how powerful you are." he said to them lovingly as they crawled into his sleeves and out of sight. "A painless bite combined with the most toxic venom found in a serpent. They never knew what hit them."

Then he started walking again as if nothing happened in the same direction as before. This continued for another hour before he finally arrived at a small clearing with a mound of overgrown earth at the centre.

"Hmm. This must be the place if I am not mistaken." he thought to himself as he did a few quick hand signs and summoned a bulky looking snake with a spade-like head in front of him.

The stranger simply pointed at the mound of dirt in front of him and the snake stuck his head into the ground and disappeared in an instant.

Less than a minute later, the snake reappeared and regurgitated an slimy object with clumps of dirt and hair on it.

The stranger stared at it for a second before the thing started making gagging noises. "Blaaaahhh! Bleech! Ptoo! Did you ever consider using a shovel you little prick?"

The stranger picked up the talking human head and wiped the dirt out of its eyes so that it could see him. "You are Hidan then." he said with a smile.

"Nooo!" Hidan replied sarcastically. "I'm that other immortal dude that got unceremoniously buried alive in the Nara clan forest for who knows how many years. OF COURSE I'M HIDAN YOU JACKASS!"

Hidan's foul mood did not seem to affect the stranger as he just smiled and pulled off his hood to reveal himself.

"Wait a minute." Hidan said. "Your Orichimaru's little stooge right? What was your name again... Kabuto? WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT WITH ME?"

Still smiling, Kabuto was about to open his mouth when he was cut off by Hidan's cackling laughter. "Hahahahah heehee. I get it now. Your after my immortality. I'm sorry pal. I don't know how long you must have been hunting me but you have wasted your time because I can guarantee you that this ability is unattainable... for you anyway."

"That is something I intend to find out for myself." Kabuto said in a creepy tone before he dropped Hidan's head to the ground, much to the disgruntled ninja's displeasure.

"YOUR NOT JUST GONNA LEAVE ME HERE?" he screamed. He opened his mouth to scream again but then he noticed the snake slither up to him with a hungry look in it's eye.

"No. You wouldn't do that to me would you? DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled at Kabuto who had his back turned and was already headed back in the direction that he came from.

"WAIT WAIT STOP! YOU STUPID SNAKE! THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES! NOOOOOO...!" with a pitiful wail, Hidan's head disappeared into the snake's throat and muffled screams and curses could be heard inside it's belly as it caught up to Kabuto and then vanished as the summon was released.

"Immortality." Kabuto thought to himself as he headed back to his hideout. "I might finally achieve what Orichimaru sought after for so long." With a new sense of excitement, he quickened his pace and was soon out of sight, leaving behind an empty grave and two dead ninjas as the sole evidence of his presence there.

_The next morning in the Leaf Village..._

It was a bright and sunny afternoon at the Leaf Village as Taro and Warrin walked through its busy streets.

Taro had on a plain white t-shirt and faded jeans while Warrin was wearing a blue t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back and camouflaged cargo shorts that stopped just below the knees.

Both of them had their hands in their pockets and a look of boredom on their faces but the scuff marks and the bruises and the burn marks gave testament to their intense training session they had from early in the morning until noon.

They were headed to Ichiraku's for lunch but did not even get halfway there when they noticed some fangirls staring at them.

"Here we go again." muttered Warrin as the group of girls started following them. "This happens every time I dare to take one step through these streets. Instead of following me around and gawking at me, why don't they spend that time training and bettering themselves?" he said as he glanced behind him.

"You would think that there would be at least a small percentage of girls that would at least try to treat either of us normally" Taro sighed when he saw the girls' ranks swell in numbers as more and more of their 'fans' joined the party.

Soon there was a long train of girls following them shamelessly as the two ninja grew more and more uncomfortable.

Relief came finally when one of the girls was overheard saying how she preferred blond men over black haired men.

"Maybe to you but any girl with good taste could see how vastly superior that Uchiha hair is to everyone else." they heard one of the other ones say. "It is to die for."

Warrin and Taro both smirked because they knew what was coming next. They might be hounded by fangirls frequently but the event that was about to come happened just as often.

"Good because YOUR ABOUT TO DIE!" screamed the insulted fangirl as she shoved the other girl down and proceeded to grab the girl's hair and beat her head on the ground.

In an instant, the place erupted into absolute pandemonium as battle lines were drawn and the two sides waged war in the ultimate kinoichi battle royal.

The two young ninja merely took a step back and watched with their hands in their pockets as the girls were wrestling and scratching and just all-out pummelling each other with everything they had.

Fangirls." Warrin muttered. "A few bricks short of a load. They just don't seem to realize how unattractive a screaming banshee imitation is." Taro chuckled "They do have their entertainment value though." Warrin nodded his head in agreement before turning to his friend. "I bet my fans kick your fans' butts. In fact, I bet you lunch."

"Your on." Taro grinned as he started to encourage his fans, shouting thing like "GO GIRLS!" and "SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!" Warrin raised his hands and whooped but stopped when he noticed the girls fighting even more fiercely than before.

It was getting bloody as things like broken noses and limbs were occurring at an astonishing rate. The two friends both sweat dropped at the small war they had helped create and decided to make themselves scarce before the authorities showed up or worse, their fathers.

Naruto would have found it hilarious of course but Sasuke would then find out in turn and he would not let them go unpunished. His notorious reputation for strict discipline was not to be taken lightly.

So they continued on their way trying to look as inconspicuous as possible while the girls kept on fighting, not realizing that their beloved heros had left the scene.

Soon the two ninja came up to Taro's favourite restaurant. "Ramen again." Warrin sighed. "I guess its too much to hope that you'll ever get tired of this stuff huh?" Taro just smiled at the comment.

"So what can I get for you?" Ichiraku's eyes disappeared in a sea of wrinkles as he smiled at his new generation of customers.

Taro grinned with anticipation. "Ramen with miso and sliced pork please and don't stop making it until I tell you." "Could you make mine extra spicy?" Warrin added.

"Coming right up" the old man replied and waved at his daughter Ayame who was already making herself busy with the order.

The two friends then spent the next few minutes talking about their training strategy and what they could do to make it more efficient.

Taro had learned how to make shadow clones at a very young age because like his father, he had extensive chakra reserves that could support the jutsu.

He had learned how to use them to increase his training experience dramatically thus becoming the number one student in his class back when he was still in the academy.

At least, he was number one until Warrin showed up a year after Taro did. Warrin had stayed behind an extra year to receive special one on one training from his father and it showed because he was one of only two other students with skills that could compete with Taro's.

"Well you guys haven't changed much." Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar raspy voice behind them. Taro and Warrin swiftly turned and gaped at their former teammate whom they hadn't seen in two years.

He was truly a sight to behold. At six feet five inches tall and built lean and powerful like an olympian, he stood head and shoulders above his teammates and although they had yet to get their growth spurts.

"Musashi. You... look different." Taro said as he was still recovering from his shock. "Your over a foot taller since I last saw you. Its been a while."

They shook hands as they greeted each other like the old friends they were. Musashi had the same red curly hair and boyish face as his father Gaara, but his dark eyes and the fact that he had eyebrows also allowed a slight resemblance to his mother Matsuri.

"Some Anbu showed up the second that we entered the main gate and requested my father's presence at some kind of meeting in the Hokage's office." Musashi shook his head with a look of mock exasperation. "Such is the life of a Kage but I decided I'd take the opportunity to find some old friends and catch up."

Taro motioned towards one of the empty seats beside them. "Join us for some ramen. You must be hungry after that long trip."

Musashi sighed hungrily at the mention of ramen. "You just said the magic words." He too had developed a taste for the dish but still came in second to the fanatical ramen lover Taro.

"What's with the crazy get-up?" Warrin motioned at Musashi's wrists, which were clad with a pair of strange looking black gauntlets that started at the knuckles and ended halfway up his forearms.

"Yeah now that you mention it, that's some pretty crazy gear you've got there man." Taro looked him up and down. Above the waist, Musashi wore a sleeveless black vest that looked a tad bulky and the pair of gauntlets on his wrists that Warrin mentioned earlier.

From the waist down he wore a black pair of loose but not baggy cargo pants that were cut off about five inches below the knees. A pair of sandals that were more like military boots with holes for his toes and heels clad his feet.

"This was all custom made." Musashi spread his arms to give them a better look. "Specially made to accommodate my new ninjutsu that I've developed."

"Which is?" Taro and Warrin both looked at him with eyebrows raised. Musashi grinned at them. "In due time my friends. There's no need to get ahead of ourselves."

Then as if on cue, three steaming bowls of ramen were put on the counter in front of them. "Hey your on the ball there Ichiraku." The old cook beamed at Musashi's compliment as the three friends munched away happily like they had done countless times before at their old favourite restaurant.

_In the Hokage's office_

Silence reigned in the Hokage's office as Naruto and his most trusted confidants that weren't doing missions at the time registered the news that Shikamaru had just shared with them.

Two chunin level ninja from the Nara clan were found dead and the grave that served as a prison for an extremely dangerous criminal was discovered empty.

"This is obviously the work of an outsider." Shikamaru stood with his hands in his pockets and had a worried expression on his face. "What I don't understand is how Hidan's grave was located. Only a select few of my clan members knew the exact location."

"I think this character's means of finding the location are rather irrelevant at this point." Sasuke was pacing behind Naruto's desk deep in thought.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Although those clues could help in discovering this stranger's identity, our biggest priority should be finding and retrieving Hidan."

Naruto leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. "So this Hidan character was just buried alive underground for how many years?" "Sixteen years." Shikamaru confirmed. "Dismembered in multiple pieces as well if I remember correctly."

Kiba whistled. "Man. I bet he's pissed. Wouldn't surprise me if he came gunning for you Shikamaru."

"He won't get the opportunity." Everyone turned to Naruto who finally spoke up. "Shikamaru. You are as of now forbidden to leave the Leaf Village until the situation is under control."

"But..." Shikamaru started but was interrupted by Naruto. "I've made my decision. Kakashi will take this one. Besides, I think that this is an excellent opportunity for my son Taro to earn that elusive jonin promotion. The exams are getting repetitive anyway. What do you think Sasuke? Is your son Warrin ready for this as well?"

Sasuke nodded just as Gaara knocked and entered the room. "Gaara. My friend." Naruto leapt up and gave him a firm handshake. "Your timing is impeccable as always. We were just discussing the details of a high risk mission that is about to proceed."

"How may I be of service?" Gaara stood with his arms crossed as Shikamaru again went through the process of explaining the details of finding the dead ninjas and the empty grave.

After Shikamaru finished explaining everything, Gaara stood silently for a moment before allowing a small smile. "You know, my son grew so accustomed to your village and it's people from the years he spent here at your academy that he has never really felt at home in the desert anymore. I think he would enjoy himself if you allowed him to do a mission with old team again."

Naruto gave a huge grin and gave Gaara a thumb's up. "Consider it done." he half shouted. Then he turned to Kakashi. "I want you to lead this mission. I want the chunins to carry out the mission on their own power if they can and then I want you to evaluate them and get them out of trouble if necessary."

Kakashi grunted in acknowledgement. "Well, no sense in waiting around. I'll deliver my report upon my return." With that, he jumped out the nearest window and disappeared.

Then Naruto dismissed everyone except Sasuke and Gaara, who stayed behind. "Ahh. To go on missions again. Wouldn't that be a treat?" Gaara sighed. "Yeah." Naruto agreed. "The thing that's the best about being a kage is also the worst. Your too important to go on missions like everyone else."

Then they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of an Anbu black-ops member who saluted crisply before turning to Sasuke. "Sir. I did as you asked and your suspicions have been confirmed."

Naruto looked over in surprise to Sasuke who was staring at the ground with a pained expression on his face. "Anything I should be concerned about?"

Sasuke closed his eyes before answering. "Yes and no. It might involve the brutal and well deserved punishment of one of our ninjas but I must ask you to stay out of it as this is a personal matter."

"On two conditions then." Naruto stated. "One... Make sure you don't kill or permanently injure the poor wretch. Two... You must take this with you." Naruto handed one of his tri-pronged kunai to his best friend.

Sasuke nodded in understanding and immediately left the room with a determined look in his eyes.

With that taken care of, Naruto quickly made a shadow clone and pushed his duplicate into the Hokage's chair. "The real beauty of the shadow clone jutsu is that I never actually have to do any paperwork." he said to Gaara with a laugh. "Now lets go get some ramen cause I'm starving."

**End of chapter three**

**A/N - It should be obvious by now that Minato is far and away my favorite character. For this reason I have fashioned Taro's personality to run parallel with Minato's although he has retained Naruto's sense of humor I think. As for Warrin... He's just a less arrogant version of Sasuke. They are basically what I wished Naruto and Sasuke to be like in the anime just to give you a better idea as what to expect from them.**

**FYI... The three of them (Taro, Warrin and Musashi) were put on the same genin team after they graduated from the academy starting at age seven and ending at age eleven when they were promoted to chunin and Musashi at this point returned to his home village. The reasoning behind this was simply because they were all in a league of their own and would be significantly held back if they were put on different teams. Oh... and their teacher was Kakashi Hatake. **

**BTW- I don't use Japanese honorifics such as kun, chan, sama, etc because I don't speak or understand Japanese and I don't want to ruin the language.**


	4. Blood Memories

**A/N- Okay... Apparently I've been unclear with a number of important details concerning this story so I'll try to explain myself as best as I can.**

**1) First of all, this is not Yaoi. I don't play for that team. I'm not judging those that write and enjoy reading Yaoi but it's definitely not my thing. As a result of a few understandable questions concerning this, I've edited my summary for any future readers' benefit and also parts of chapter three as I can see now where the questions are coming from.**

**2) This is mainly an adventure story. I said that the main pairing is Naru/Hina and it is. However, whatever romance plots I have going in this story will be sub-plots and won't receive as much attention as the main plot. Oh, and FYI, There will be more OC's as a result of the other pairings that I've planned for later on. In a span of sixteen years (In this story, the war lasted two years), I'm sure many of the Konoha twelve and beyond would hook up and produce a new generation so I suppose that's a given.**

**3) I believe that Kakashi would be a more than capable ninja if he reached his forties. Lets not forget that Jiraiya was in his fifties when he fought Pain and he was awesome (Despite the loss). Plus, considering Kakashi's bachelor lifestyle, I just can't picture him retiring from his ninja career that soon (Though I'm not saying he's a bachelor in THIS story)**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto...**

Chapter 4- Blood Memories

It was the middle of the night on his second day of travel when Kabuto finally reached his destination.

At first glance nothing out of the ordinary could be seen but then he did a quick series of hand signs and a hole in the ground opened up with a flight of stairs leading downward.

Smiling to himself, he disappeared into the hidden doorway before it closed and returned to its original camouflaged state in an ordinary forest clearing.

Dimly lit halls with intricate designs on the walls revealed this to be one of Orichimaru's old hideouts as Kabuto walked confidently through the maze of hallways.

Then he turned and entered a room that looked like it was set up as a laboratory. There was a counter with a sink and shelves with medical tools that lined the wall next to it and in the centre of the room there was a hospital gurney with straps attached to it.

After a quick check to make sure everything was in order, Kabuto summoned the snake that contained his prize.

A few seconds later, wet smacking sounds resounded off the walls as the snake regurgitated a mess of body parts onto the floor.

It's task complete, the snake disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kabuto then took an empty bucket from beside the counter and began to fill it with cold water from the sink.

"I hate you." A quiet voice muttered from under the pile of body parts. Kabuto grinned as he took his now full bucket of water and drenched Hidan with its contents.

Hidan yelled in surprise. "You really are a sadistic asshole you know that? Although I did kind of need a shower anyway but you didn't need to make it so f***ing cold."

After locating the Hidan's head, Kabuto set it on the countertop before getting to work placing the body parts on the gurney and fitting them together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Hidan, to his credit, stayed silent for a few minutes as he watched the medic ninja stitch pieces of his torso back together before moving on to the task of reattaching the limbs.

"Why are you doing this?" Kabuto barely acknowledged Hidan's question as he continued his work. "I thought you already knew. You are the key to true immortality and I'm going to extract the secret from your body."

"That's not what I meant. Why do you want immortality so badly?" Kabuto looked up at the detached head that was staring at him so intently.

"People always asked me why I was so willing to learn from my former mentor" he answered with a sigh. "They never understood that I followed him because his ideals ran parallel with mine. It was his goal to learn every jutsu in existence while it was, and still is, my goal to learn everything about the human body and its potential."

When Hidan stayed silent he continued his explanation. "When Orichimaru was killed, I implanted some of his DNA in my body in an effort to gain the powers that he had manifested through all his years of research and experiments."

"I admit it was a gamble but it paid off. Not only did I gain Orichimaru's unnatural abilities but I had also inadvertently gained his vast wealth of knowledge as well."

"There were two distinct side effects to it though. The first was the cancerous properties of the injection that threatened to overwhelm my body. Within a few weeks however, my DNA and the DNA of Orichimaru adapted to one another and transformed me into a new and improved version of the snake sannin."

"The other side effect I have come to view as an advantage. Along with his powers and knowledge, I also inherited his unsatiable appetite for learning and inventing new jutsu."

"This ultimately is the reason why I am seeking true immortality. To learn new jutsu requires a lot of time and one life-span simply will not allow me to accomplish my goals."

By the time he finished explaining his motives, Kabuto was just completing his work on Hidan's body. When it was time to reattach the head however, he stopped what he was doing.

"What's the matter" came Hidan's indignant cry. "I told you before, there is no way you can achieve what I have. It's pointless to keep me like this."

"Don't worry" Kabuto replied. "I'll put you back together eventually. But first I really must see the truth for myself."

With that, he stuck a needle into the side of Hidan's neck and withdrew a small amount of blood, much to the discomfort of said person.

"I have developed the ability to look into a person's past memories simply by ingesting their blood" the medic ninja said with a smirk. "No secret is safe from me."

Before Hidan could protest, Kabuto emptied the syringe's contents into his mouth and went into a catatonic trance. Breaking into a sudden grin, Hidan observed the spaced out expression of the white haired medic. "Don't say I didn't warn you" he chuckled at the unresponsive Kabuto.

After a little over two minutes, Kabuto broke free from his trance and fell on his knees gasping for breath. With a wild look in his eyes, he looked up at Hidan who had a knowing smile on his face.

"I am no coward." Kabuto finally spoke after a few minutes of silence. "But that was the most terrifying thing I have ever laid my eyes on. What was that? Who was that?"

"That" Hidan grinned triumphantly, "was and still is my reason for living. That... is the source of my immortality. That... my friend, was Lord Jashin."

Still breathing heavily, Kabuto stared at the dismembered head on the counter before bowing in an act of submission. "I am at your disposal Lord Hidan."

This was followed by peals of laughter as Hidan couldn't contain his amusement. "Lord Hidan? Well now there's a title I haven't heard in over a hundred years."

Still chuckling, he gave a sarcastic smile at Kabuto who was still kneeling in front of him. "Now then, if its not too much trouble... I would like my body back."

_At the gates of the Leaf Village..._

Taro Namikaze and Warrin Uchiha sat patiently on a bench near the village gates an hour after receiving orders to prepare for their first S ranked mission. Both were dressed in standard chunin gear although Warrin had a katana strapped to his back.

After learning that Kakashi was to be in charge of the operation, they were counting on him being at least two hours late like he always was.

However, they were surprised when Kakashi showed up a mere half hour late with Musashi walking beside him.

"What's up?" Warrin asked the big redhead. "Oh not much." came the reply. "Dad figured that I should back you guys up on this mission so I guess I'll be tagging along."

Kakashi nodded in confirmation before briefing them on the situation. "Two ninjas were found murdered in the forest of the Nara clan. They were guarding an old grave that contained the immortal body of a dangerous S rank missing nin. As expected, the grave has been excavated and the body has turned up missing."

Taro raised his hand. "Uh... sorry for interrupting but how in the hell do you turn up missing?"

"Because nobody knows where you are when they realize you aren't there" Warrin pointed out.

"We're getting off topic..." Kakashi started but was cut off by Taro's argument. "So your telling me that you can appear and disappear at the same time?"

Warrin just snorted. "Of course not. Your dad's the only one that can pull off something like that."

"No, no. Hang on" the blonde exclaimed. "But you can't be gone from one place and show up somewhere else entirely. So when you turn up, your never missing. And when your missing, you never turn up."

"Unless you're a shadow clone" The two verbal combatants turned towards Musashi, who wore a smug grin on his face.

Taro scratched his head in confusion for a few seconds before his face lit up. "Hey. That actually makes sense."

The copy ninja sweat dropped at the pointless argument that had just taken place. "Some things never change" he thought to himself as the Namikaze heir was sporting a big cheesy smile from drawing a few laughs from his friends.

"Okay. Once we are through with the nonsense, we need to get moving as soon as possible." Upon seeing the seriousness of Kakashi's expression, the three teens immediately sobered up and paid attention.

"One goal of our mission is to apprehend the party responsible for the murders and the excavation if at all possible. Also I have a pretty good idea as to who it might be so if I'm not mistaken, we're in for one hell of a dangerous mission."

"However, our first priority is to retrieve the former occupant of the grave and bring him back to the village by any means necessary. His name is Hidan and he is not to be trifled with under any circumstances."

After few nods of acknowledgement came his way, Kakashi moved on to formation strategy.

"Since Taro has mastered senjutsu, he will take point and use those chakra sensing abilities to find our target and to keep us from getting ambushed."

"I'll be the second one in formation and my job will be to keep an eye on our right flank. Warrin will be third in formation and he'll watch our left flank."

"Musashi, you will bring up the rear. Obviously your job will be to watch our backs. Any questions?"

After a moment of silence, Kakashi nodded and they all took off through the gates in the direction of their quarry's last known location.

_At Uchiha Manor..._

Sakura shuddered as the feeling of sheer ecstasy coursed throughout her body. She felt like she was in heaven as her fingers traced the skin of the lean and muscular body that was the source of her pleasure.

She felt the intense pressure build until she could no longer contain it and then she came for the third and final time.

Exhausted, she simply collapsed into the arms of her lover and lay there panting. After two hours of amazing sex, her energy reserves were completely drained and was perfectly content to cuddle for a while before her husband was to return home.

That was when she felt the pressure of a massive amount of killing intent aimed in her direction.

Apparently, her lover felt it too because in under a second he'd pulled his pants on and was on his feet in a gentleman's taijutsu stance.

With all of the curtains covering the windows, the lack of light made it difficult to pinpoint exactly where the killing intent was coming from but it became apparent when two sharingan eyes peered out of a shadowed corner.

"Hello Lee." Sasuke's voice was void of emotion as he acknowledged the taijutsu master that was just now developing a look of dread on his face. "I see my wife has been a most generous hostess. I trust your visit has been quite pleasant."

With fear now clearly stamped on his face, Rock Lee opened his mouth to speak but no words came out as he watched the famous Uchiha materialize out of the shadows one step at a time until they were both standing face to face.

Sakura's mouth was open in shock as she watched from the sidelines. She noticed Lee waver for a few seconds before he dropped to his knees gasping for breath.

A moment later, she realized that Lee had been under the power of tsukuyomi. Sasuke had been toying with him and judging by the killing intent that was radiating from his body, he wasn't nearly finished yet.

Wordlessly, he picked Lee up by the throat with one hand and delivered a powerful kick to the midsection that sent Lee crashing through the wall and onto the street outside.

"SASUKE" He turned his head to where the scream originated from. "Please don't do this" his wife begged him. "It wasn't his fault. It's my fault. I led him on baby I'm so sorry."

With unfeeling sharingan eyes he searched Sakura's face. "You will be." His voice was cold as he turned back in the direction of the battered body outside that was now struggling to stand up.

With purpose, he stepped through the hole in the wall and took several running steps before launching a flying kick at his adversary.

To his amazement, Lee managed to dodge it and deliver a kick of his own into the lower part of Sasuke's back.

Lee's grim determination however turned into a gasp in surprise as the Uchiha's body dissolved into a pack of ravens that scattered in all different directions.

Acting on pure instinct, Lee ducked just in time as Sasuke appeared behind him and threw a punch that caught a whiff of the trademark bowl shaped haircut.

Dropping to one hand, Lee attempted a leg sweep that failed as Sasuke dodged it easily. Then, with almost inhuman speed, Lee fired a leg kick straight at the centre of Sasuke's chest in an attempt to break his ribcage and subdue him.

This however, did little to faze the angry Anbu commander as he caught Lee's ankle in mid swing and gave it a sharp twist. With a loud pop, Lee's knee gave out under the pressure and was swiftly followed by a scream of pain.

Sasuke then gave Lee a quick uppercut and an explosive open palm that shattered the left side of his jaw and sent him tumbling down the street before his body came to rest a hundred yards down the street.

Sakura watched in horror through a window as Sasuke strode purposefully towards the now unconscious body of the taijutsu master.

Then she heard him speak a word that she'd been dreading. "Susano'o." This confirmed her worst fear. Sasuke meant to kill Lee.

She could barely watch as the transparent skeleton of the mythical humanoid beast manifested around Sasuke as he drew ever closer to his prey.

Then muscle tissue formed and wrapped itself around the bones before being covered by flaming layers of fearsome armour.

With Susano'o now complete, Sasuke reached out with a massive armoured hand that grasped Lee's body and lifted him high in the air.

Before the Uchiha had a chance to crush the life out of him though, something slammed into his jutsu's arm with tremendous force which caused him to release his hold on Lee.

He looked in surprise to see Naruto standing over Lee's body with his arms crossed in front of him and a massive clawed arm made of red chakra protruding out of his back.

"NARUTO" They both turned to see the now clothed Sakura running towards them. "Be silent and stay out of the way." Her eyes widened in surprise at Naruto's sudden statement.

"But Sasuke..." "THAT'S ENOUGH" Naruto snapped before turning to Sasuke with concern on his face. "I saw everything Sasuke. My heart goes out to you but I can't allow you to kill a fellow ninja of the leaf. If you stop now then I assure you that you will be spared any punishment."

Sasuke stared at the ground with his fists clenched at his sides. Behind Naruto, Lee's battered body took to the air on a bed of sand courtesy of Gaara.

Slowly, Sasuke's jutsu dissipated and he dropped to his knees as if he'd just lost all of his strength. Then he let out a cry that sounded more like a wounded animal than a human being.

The massacre of his clan and the tragedy that was his brother Itachi were wounds that had taken many years to heal.

This betrayal that he now suffered at the hands of his wife seemed to tear open old wounds and threatened to engulf him with uncontrollable rage.

Sakura took a step towards him only to be stopped by Naruto. "Let him be" he said simply. "You've made your choice. Save him any more pain and just let him be."

Though the words stung, she knew that Naruto was right. With one last lingering glance over her shoulder, she headed for the hospital to check up on Lee who was already there.

Naruto took a few slow steps and put his hand on Sasuke's quivering shoulder. "I'm sorry Sasuke. I won't pretend I know how this feels but if you need someone to talk to, just let me know."

"I want to be alone." The Anbu commander looked up at him through pain filled eyes. "I need to be alone."

Naruto nodded sincerely. "Take all the time you need. When your fit for duty again, just say the word." With that said, he disappeared in a yellow flash.

For a long moment, Sasuke remained on his knees in silence as he attempted to subdue the painful memories that coursed through his mental landscape.

Slowly, he got to his feet and started walking in a random direction without a care as to where he might end up.

Step by painful step, he followed his feet for an unknown amount of time before they finally stopped in front of the monumental stone that bore the names of all the fallen heroes of the Leaf.

He searched the section specially made for the names of the fallen Uchiha clan members. His father Fugaku. His mother Mikoto. Shisui Uchiha. Obito Uchiha. The list continued on and on until his eyes finally came to rest on the name of his brother Itachi.

This name had a place of its own set aside as there was a special memento written beside it. Sasuke smiled fondly as he read the script that he had personally carved into the stone many years before. _To one of the greatest men the Leaf has ever known. May his sacrifice never be forgotten._

Slowly, he slumped to his knees and then into a cross legged sitting position as he continued to stare at his brother's name.

"If only I could become half the man that you were" he murmured softly before fatigue overcame him and his head slumped to his chest in merciful slumber.

**A/N- Concerning the fate of the Uchiha clan... In this story, it is common knowledge in the village as to what really went down and why Itachi did what he did so I think he would be regarded as a hero. If your wondering why the Uchiha conspirators names are on the stone, its just my opinion that an honorary memorial would still be acceptable seeing as ninety-nine percent of the clan was wiped out before they actually did anything.**

**Disclaimer- I got the blood memories idea from watching Underworld: Evolutions. As for that pointless argument, I think I saw something like that in a movie like... forever ago but it made me laugh so I put it in here just because...**


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